The Security Checklist Before Going Live

You've learned why security matters, what can go wrong, how attackers operate, and what happens to real people who skip security. Now let's make it practical.

This is the checklist you should run through before every deployment. Not just your first launch — every time you push changes to production. Print it out, bookmark it, make it part of your workflow.

The Pre-Launch Security Checklist

Section 1: Secrets and Credentials

Goal: No secrets in your code, no secrets in your git history.

• [ ] All API keys and secrets are in environment variables, not hardcoded in source files
• [ ] .env is listed in .gitignore — verify by running git status and confirming .env files don't appear
• [ ] No secrets in git history — if you ever committed a secret, it's stil